The Complete Ninja's Handbook
Ninja
A rogue class.
Requirements
Ability minimumsDexterity 13, Intelligence 10
Prime requisitesDexterity
AlignmentLawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Good, True Neutral, Neutral Evil
Advancement
Ninja experience levels
Experience needed for each level, and the hit dice that come with it.| Level | Experience | Hit dice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1d6 |
| 2 | 1,250 | 2d6 |
| 3 | 2,500 | 3d6 |
| 4 | 5,000 | 4d6 |
| 5 | 10,000 | 5d6 |
| 6 | 20,000 | 6d6 |
| 7 | 40,000 | 7d6 |
| 8 | 70,000 | 8d6 |
| 9 | 110,000 | 9d6 |
| 10 | 160,000 | 10d6 |
| 11 | 220,000 | 10d6+2 |
| 12 | 440,000 | 10d6+4 |
| 13 | 660,000 | 10d6+6 |
| 14 | 880,000 | 10d6+8 |
| 15 | 1,100,000 | 10d6+10 |
| 16 | 1,320,000 | 10d6+12 |
| 17 | 1,540,000 | 10d6+14 |
| 18 | 1,760,000 | 10d6+16 |
| 19 | 1,980,000 | 10d6+18 |
| 20 | 2,200,000 | 10d6+20 |
Combat
WeaponsAny weapon. The ninja is the only rogue with no weapon list at all.
ArmourLeather, padded, studded leather, ring, brigandine, scale, hide, and chain; a shield is allowed. Thieving skills take the Table 5 penalties, so a ninja expecting skill work stays at leather or lighter.
SpecializationMay not specialize in a weapon.
Ninja THAC0
The number you need to roll to hit Armour Class 0, by level.| Level | THAC0 |
|---|---|
| 1 | 20 |
| 2 | 20 |
| 3 | 19 |
| 4 | 19 |
| 5 | 18 |
| 6 | 18 |
| 7 | 17 |
| 8 | 17 |
| 9 | 16 |
| 10 | 16 |
| 11 | 15 |
| 12 | 15 |
| 13 | 14 |
| 14 | 14 |
| 15 | 13 |
| 16 | 13 |
| 17 | 12 |
| 18 | 12 |
| 19 | 11 |
| 20 | 11 |
Ninja saving throws
Target numbers by level. Lower is better; roll this or higher to save.| Level | Paralyzation, Poison, Death | Rod, Staff, Wand | Petrification, Polymorph | Breath Weapon | Spell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 15 |
| 2 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 15 |
| 3 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 15 |
| 4 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 15 |
| 5 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 13 |
| 6 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 13 |
| 7 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 13 |
| 8 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 13 |
| 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 11 |
| 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 11 |
| 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 11 |
| 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 11 |
| 13 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 9 |
| 14 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 9 |
| 15 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 9 |
| 16 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 9 |
| 17 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 7 |
| 18 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 7 |
| 19 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 7 |
| 20 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 7 |
Class abilities
Ninja abilities by level
What the class grants as it advances.| Level | Backstab | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | x2 | Genin |
| 2 | x2 | Genin |
| 3 | x2 | Genin |
| 4 | x2 | Genin |
| 5 | x3 | Genin |
| 6 | x3 | Chunin |
| 7 | x3 | Chunin |
| 8 | x3 | Chunin |
| 9 | x4 | Chunin |
| 10 | x4 | Jonin |
| 11 | x4 | Jonin |
| 12 | x4 | Jonin |
| 13 | x5 | Jonin |
| 14 | x5 | Jonin |
| 15 | x5 | Jonin |
| 16 | x5 | Jonin |
| 17 | x5 | Jonin |
| 18 | x5 | Jonin |
| 19 | x5 | Jonin |
| 20 | x5 | Jonin |
Kits
Stealer-In
The baseline expressed as a : no requirement, no benefit, no hindrance. One of the two kits a may enter the ninja class through.
Weapons requiredninja-to
Proficiencies requiredr-blind-fighting
Starting money2d6 x 10 gp — Flat, regardless of the clan's wealth (PHBR15 Ch. 1).
Shadow Warrior
A fighter-leaning who passes as an ordinary warrior. The other of the two a may enter the ninja class through.
Ability minimumsStrength 13
RacesHuman, Dwarf
Also open toHalf-elf
AlsoThe 's line adds half-elves and drops halflings relative to the list. Half-elf is admitted here as a kit-granted exception; RULING REQUESTED.
Weapons requiredninja-to
Proficiencies requiredw-running
Starting money2d6 x 10 gp — Flat, regardless of the clan's wealth (PHBR15 Ch. 1).
Benefits
- May specialize in weapons or martial arts: one at 5th , a second at 9th, a third at 13th, to a maximum of three (or two weapons plus one martial art).
Hindrances
- Specialization grants NO extra attacks — PHB Table 35 does not apply, and neither do fighter multi-attacks.
- ALL thieving skills start at 0%, and only 30 discretionary points are granted at 1st (the normal 30 per level applies after).
- Table 2 does not apply to a Shadow Warrior: every thieving skill starts from 0% rather than from the 's base score.
Intruder
The espionage and intrusion — the who gets into the place nobody gets into.
Ability minimumsIntelligence 13
AlsoSecondary skill: Scribe.
Weapons requiredninja-to
Proficiencies requiredr-reading-writing, p-reading-writing, wz-reading-writing
Proficiencies recommendedQuick Study, Information Gathering
Starting money2d6 x 10 gp — Flat, regardless of the clan's wealth (PHBR15 Ch. 1).
Benefits
- Every -based Rogue and General nonweapon functions at Intelligence +2, to a maximum of 18.
Hindrances
- Always on duty: two to three times the normal mission frequency, constant reporting, and recurring conflicts between clan orders and the character's friends.
Consort
The social-infiltration . A female Consort is a .
Ability minimumsCharisma 14
Proficiencies requiredActing, g-etiquette, Enamor
Proficiencies recommendedr-disguise
Starting money2d6 x 10 gp — Flat, regardless of the clan's wealth (PHBR15 Ch. 1).
Benefits
- Every -based Rogue and General nonweapon functions at Charisma +2, to a maximum of 18.
Hindrances
- Long missions under a false identity, and a standing risk that someone from a past assignment resurfaces and recognises the . The DM decides when.
Pathfinder
The wilderness operator: the clan's eyes outside the towns, and its route-finder.
RacesHuman, Halfling
Also open toHalf-elf
AlsoThe 's line adds half-elves and drops dwarves relative to the list. Half-elf is admitted here as a kit-granted exception; RULING REQUESTED. Secondary skill: one of Forester, Hunter or Trapper-Furrier.
Bonus proficienciesw-tracking
Weapons requiredhankyu (half-bow), ninja-to
Proficiencies requiredw-hunting
Starting money2d6 x 10 gp — Flat, regardless of the clan's wealth (PHBR15 Ch. 1).
Benefits
- Tracking improves by +1 at 5th , +1 more at 9th and +1 more at 13th, cumulative to +3.
Hindrances
- Never gathers — the 10th- clan grant does not apply.
Lone Wolf
A clanless exile, or the survivor of a clan that was wiped out. Free, and alone.
Weapons requiredninja-to
Proficiencies requiredw-survival
Starting money2d6 x 10 gp — Flat, regardless of the clan's wealth (PHBR15 Ch. 1).
Benefits
- No clan obligations and no superiors. The only who may OUT of the .
Hindrances
- No clan resources of any kind, and never any .
- Begins play with a powerful standing campaign enemy — the character's own clan if they were exiled, or the destroying clan if they survived a massacre — and an obligation to confront it at high .
Spirit Warrior
The magic-touched , who trades the 's breadth of weapons and armor for and a wizard's slow climb.
Ability minimumsIntelligence 13
RacesHuman
Also open toHalf-elf
AlsoThe 's line is human and half-elf only, dropping dwarves and halflings that the allows and adding half-elves that it does not. Half-elf is admitted here as a kit-granted exception; RULING REQUESTED. Secondary skill: Scribe.
Weapons requireddagger or knife
Proficiencies requiredwz-reading-writing, wz-spellcraft
ArmourLeather or padded only, and no shield — narrower than the 's own list.
Starting money2d6 x 10 gp — Flat, regardless of the clan's wealth (PHBR15 Ch. 1).
Benefits
- Water walking, from 5th : crosses smooth water for 10 yards per five levels per day, moving at 10 yards per (MV 1). An injury breaks it and the falls in. Blocked entirely while to a land of 6 or less.
- Spells, from 9th : the Illusion only, plus the () spells. Casting level is the ninja's level minus 8, so a 9th-level ninja casts as a 1st-level caster. Progression on Table 7.
- Gains the thief's scroll-use , which the itself does not grant.
- Pass through walls, from 13th : three of concentration (an interruption loses the power for the day), then through solid barriers at 1 foot per round for a number of rounds equal to the 's level. Still being inside the barrier when it ends means death inside it.
Hindrances
- Weapons limited to dagger, knife, tanto, yoroi-toshi, short sword, , staff, dart, blowgun and sling — the 's any-weapon access does not apply.
- Armor limited to leather or padded, and no shield.
- Advances on wizard experience costs (Table 8) while keeping d6 .
Notes
- Clan-based infiltrator-spy. Rank by : 1-5, 6-9, 10+.
- adjustments and backstab multipliers are the PHB thief's, reprinted unchanged by the book (Table 3 and the backstab ladder): dwarf +10 OL / +15 F,RT / -10 CW / -5 RL; halfling +5 PP / +5 OL / +5 F,RT / +10 MS / +15 HS / +5 DN / -15 CW / -5 RL. Backstab x2 at 1-4, x3 at 5-8, x4 at 9-12, x5 at 13+.
- Table 5 REPLACES the PHB armor-adjustment table for this . The shield row is cumulative with the armor row (footnote: chain + shield = -70 Climb Walls).
- Table 5 footnotes, as printed: ** the shield's Pick Pockets penalty is for shield-hand pockets only; *** the shield's Find/Remove Traps penalty applies to removal only, not to finding.
- replace thieves' cant — a per-clan sign and ideogram language. Another clan's signs are unintelligible, and the Detect Signing reveals that signing is happening, never what it means.
- NO scroll use. The thief's scroll is not granted; only the adds it.
- No ever. into ninja is limited to the Stealer-In and Shadow Warrior ; dual-class out is forbidden by the clans except for the Lone Wolf.
- Starting money: 2d6 x 10 gp, flat, regardless of clan wealth.
- At 10th () the clan assigns 2d6 blood-relative of 1d6 level each; half, rounded up, are and the rest carry a .
- as a rogue. Rogue, Warrior and General nonweapon groups cost the listed slots; any other group costs +1. The adds Wizard at no penalty.
- Clan status (Table 6, d20) is cosmetic: 1-2 nonperson, 3-6 merchant, 7-10 artisan, 11-18 farmer, 19-20 samurai. It sets the naming convention and nothing mechanical.